30 July 2010

NOT so long ago, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) planted an idea in the minds of Filipinos that the sport will soon emerge from its nightmarish state.

In September of 2008, AFC Vision Asia officials announced the inception of “a massive development plan to elevate the quality of football in the country.”

The AFC and the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) handpicked the Cebu Football Association (CFA) to be at the forefront of the campaign.

The dreamers sprung into action, as representatives of AFC Vision Asia met with PFF and CFA officials to formulate the plan of making Cebu the pilot area of Vision Philippines, a 10-year grassroots development program. AFC Vision Asia pledged to fund the project.

As discussed during several days of planning, a few technical requirements had to be ironed out, one of which was for the CFA to amend its by-laws in line with Fifa statutes.

Less than a year later, the CFA, in a General Assembly in August 2009, amended its bylaws. PFF president Mari Martinez himself made sure to fly all the way to Cebu and attend the gathering to express his support for the ratification.

“It’s the first FA in the country to do so,” a CFA board member had said, pointing out that even the PFF has yet to update its bylaws.

In January this year, the CFA launched the Vision Philippines grassroots project, assembling young “elite players” ages eight to 16 from different clubs and schools all over Cebu, mentored no less by licensed coach volunteers.

Every afternoon for several weeks, dozens of players from the different groups would religiously train under stifling conditions at the Aboitiz Football Field.

But one weekend the practice sessions abruptly ended. The reason: funds the AFC promised never reached the CFA, sending the Vision Philippines’s pilot project in limbo.

I asked a CFA insider what happened. The PFF, he said, never sent them any money.

The AFC had earmarked at least P200,000 for the CFA program this year, and another P200,000 for the next. However, the AFC apparently cannot directly send funds to the CFA and had to course the money through the PFF.

The CFA repeatedly asked the PFF about the funds. CFA president Richard Montayre, the insider said, even had to meet the PFF president in his office to ask about the funds and why this wasn’t released. The CFA president ended up storming out of the office without getting a straight answer.

Left with limited options, the CFA emailed the AFC about the funds. The CFA was in for a surprise: it received a letter from the AFC last June recommending “a few amendments” in CFA statutes.

Now, didn’t they go through this before?

According to a June 23 report published on its website, the AFC has asked the CFA “to make the changes to take Vision Philippines-Project Cebu a step forward.”

The changes recommended mainly involved membership and disciplinary issues, none ofwhich has anything to do with the handling of funds.

To amend the CFA statutes meant the holding of another assembly and wasting scarce resources.

The CFA insider wondered: Why did the AFC not push these recommendations at the onset?

And granted the CFA does labor to amend its statutes anew, what next? What other set of recommendations would be needed to take the project “a step forward”? What other bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo and labyrinthine nonsense would the AFC spelunkers hatch next?

This “amendment” explanation sounds like an elaborate excuse to withhold funds. I can’t help but ask whether the deficiencies in the CFA statutes are reason enough.

If so, how come the PFF continues to get assistance from the AFC? Didn’t the AFC find anything to rectify with the PFF’s “un-amended” statutes?

In a newsletter the PFF released last year, a headline read: “PFF: Financially healthy.” In the story, the PFF treasurer trumpeted the PFF’s fiscal gains for 2009.

Fine.

But there was one detail in this paragraph I found disturbing: “Fiscal discipline, strict expenses, addition of new sponsors, and new assistance from Vision Asia helped PFF hit its financial target this year.”

I wonder where that “new assistance from Vision Asia” went. To dreamland, perhaps? But definitely not to its pilot project in Cebu.

28 July 2010

Notice to ALL Metro Manila Football Clubs - The UFL Cup, which will kick off in October 2010, is considering opening its doors for more Football Clubs to participate. There will be a meeting for interested parties on Aug. 5, 2010 at 6:30PM, Makati Sports Club. Please confirm your attendance on this thread. More details will be shared with you at the meeting.

Sunken Garden United Football Club would like to invite you to join the "Sanchez Roman Cup" - a 7-aside football festival on August 15, 2010 at the UP Athletic Oval in Diliman, Quezon City. Interested teams can join for only P2,000, with a maximum of 12 players. Trophies and other suprises are at stake! Contact Steph (...0916-5467835) or Titan (09173953862) for inquiries.

Medvil crushed Columbia, 5-1, while KMMPC blanked Ebocci, 2-0, in the meet presented by Acer Philippines in cooperation with the Davao Football Association and Columbia Computer Center.

Medvil's Francis Philip Alcala and Joey Arobo hit back-to-back goals in the 20th and 25th minutes, respectively, to give their team an early 2-0 lead.

But Columbia's Jervie Paalan scored in the 35th to cut Medvil's lead by just a goal.

Frances Jay Abrasaldo, however, countered in the 52nd followed up by Renelle Pino in the 71st for Medvil to pull away, 4-1. Abrasaldo then made it 5-1 with another goal in the 79th.

KMMPC, meanwhile, grabbed its second win in five outings through the heroics of Jestoni Concepcion (77th) and Rocky Custodio (89th).

Medvil is still on top of the team standings with five wins, zero-draw and one loss while Seagull Porky's Lechon took the second spot with a 4-0-1 card.Columbia (3-0-3), KMMPC (2-0-4) and Ebocci (1-0-4) are trailing in the team standing. (MLSA)

25 July 2010

Wikipedia, though, quickly listed as “vacant” the entry under the team’s head coach, while another entry says he now “manages India’s Under-19 team.”

Among conflicting reports why Bulpin resigned is that politics made it difficult for him to run the team.

Blogger Louie Encabo, who runs the site usapangfootball.webs.com, writes: “Des’decision was made simpler when a lucrative India U-19 team coaching position was offered to him. Not only do they have better facilities but they have an organized Federation as well.”

India having an “organized Federation,” in Encabo’s words, suggests the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) is not. Bulpin should now know that firsthand.

Some observers might find Bulpin’s resignation shocking, but I’m actually even more surprised that he lasted this long as Philippine coach, a job he himself described to a sports scribe as “a massive challenge.”

But finding the challenge too massive even for his Englishman’s wits, he flees faster than one can say “bollocks.” To hell with that one-year contract he signed in November last year, and never mind if the men’s team is joining the Asean Football Cup qualifiers this October.

(As an Azkals fan, it’s hard to forgive Bulpin for leaving at the height of the team’s preparations. An honorable man would have finished the job. The PFF mafia, on the other hand, is beyond redemption.)

This development must be annoying to a columnist for a national broadsheet, who wrote glowingly about Bulpin last February, even recklessly quoting a source, “He (Bulpin) may not be the best coach out there but he’s much better than anyone locally.”

(PFF technical director Aries Caslib took exception to the discriminatory statement, and was quick to reply with a list of Filipino coaches who are fit for the job.)

I pity the two benefactors, one of whom sits as team manager, who bankrolled Bulpin’s expenses, while the PFF need not spend a single cent by “outsourcing” its responsibilities of handling the national team.

Even more pathetic, Bulpin’s departure would give the PFF a convenient excuse should the team fare poorly in October.

To promote football among Filipino children and hopefully, hone future World Cup athletes, The Younghusband Football Academy (TYFA) and Muntinlupa Parañaque Las Piñas Football Association (MPLFA) opened a youth league on Saturday at the Alabang Country Club in Muntinlupa City. The football league, which is participated by children ages four to 17 years old from 15 teams, aims not only to harness the skills of the young athletes but to introduce football to less fortunate children.

“This league is about you. You are the future of football. It’s not about winning. It’s about your development—in leadership, hardwork and teamwork,” Philippine National Football team midfielder and TYFA co-founder Philip Younghusband told the children participating the event.

Younghusband, 22, believes that Philippines has its big potential of building future World Cup athletes. He even stressed that the World Cup champions’ height ranges only form 5’6" to 5’7", which is also the average height of male Filipinos.

“I believe in 12 years time, we can produce our first World Cup team,” Younghusband said.

“We organize the league on a regular basis because we believe that it is an effective method to develop the skills of the players,” said Cathy Rivilla MPLFA president and match commisioner of the Asian Football Confederation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The sporting event for the youth also paved way to introduction of the 1 Goal “Education for all” signature campaign, which is also supported by the FIFA. Younghusband calls everyone to support the campaign through just signing.

The campaign, through the 30 million signatures it will gather worldwide, aims to urge world leaders who will attend this September’s United Nations Heads of States summit in New York to prioritize education in their countries.

The German Development Service recently donated equipment worth P60,000 to the West Negros University’s football team, a press release from the school said.

The equipment includes 43 soccer balls, 57 pairs of jersey, spike shoes, socks and gloves. They were turned over by Lennart Elischer to team coach Norman Fegidero, in the presence of Vice President for Administration Elmar Bolivar and other school officials.

Elischer expressed hope that the equipment will be used by the players to further their skills and bring more honor to the university.

Bolivar, who accepted the donations, said they will help upgrade the sports program of WNU.

Aside from the sports equipment, through its volunteers, they also donated materials for the preschoolers in WNU’s adopted communities.

The volunteers from the German Development Service has been with WNU since September 2009 and has helped the Wesnecan community in its sports development, community extension and pro-environment programs, the press release added.*

21 July 2010

MANILA, Philippines – Young Filipino football aspirants will get a chance to learn more about the sport when the Muntinlupa-Parañaque Las Piñas Football Association (MPLFA) Youth League kicks off its first run on Saturday.

The MPLFA and The Younghusband Football Academy are organizing the league to maximize the potential of young footballers by harnessing their skills.

According to the organizers, football is best learned when young.

The MPLFA Youth League will be held on Saturday, July 24, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Alabang Country Club in Ayala Alabang Village, Muntinlupa City.

MPLFA President Cathy Rivilla, Younghusband Football Academy co-founder Phil Younghusband, and Jojo Durian, Director of MPLFA and the Younghusband Football Academy, will be present in the event.

They will also share information on 1GOAL, a campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup that promotes education.

The campaign is being supported locally by the Younghusband Football Academy founders, English-Filipino brothers Phil and James Younghusband.

The Younghusband brothers, formerly of the Chelsea football club, are currently playing for the Philippine National Team.

SEAGULL-PORKY'S Lechon will battle Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) in the 2:30 p.m. match when the Acer Cup Under-23 Football Tournament opens its second round at the Tionko football grounds on Sunday.

Seagull, toting a four-win, zero-draw and one-loss card, is expected to pull it off with ease over Ateneo, which had lost its past five matches during the first round of the meet presented by Acer Philippines in coordination with the Davao Football Association and Columbia Computer Center.

20 July 2010

TACLOBAN CITY – While the world is waiting who among the teams competing in the FIFA World Cup will be declared as champion in this year’s event that is being held in South Africa, the men’s football team of the Philippines is busy practicing for their upcoming international competition, in fact they are here in the city of Tacloban to have a tune-up game with local football players and a selection of football players from various teams in the country.In a visit to their tune-up game, which is being held at the Leyte Sports Development Center better known as “grandstand”, of the 31 members of the Philippine team along with the selection team called as the Stallions, they are having a great time in the field trying to out-score each other in the playing field of the grandstand, which was rehabilitated in 2008 for the Palarong Pambansa.The tune-up game of the Philippine Team in the city of Tacloban is the first ever practice that the Philippine Men’s Football Team since the grandstand was constructed.In an interview with the coach of football national team, he said that the tune-up game is way of determining and examining the performance of his players in the field while playing.“We would like to know what are the things that we need to improve with my men while they are inside playing so that they can compete well in the international competition,” Coach Broax said.In the first day of the tune-up game between the national team and the selection team, the coach said that the national team is doing well but the team still needs to deliver a good finishing touch to deliver a point for their team.“Marami tayong crosses compared sa kalaban, problema lang yung finishing kung paano nila magagawa ang conversion to goal,” the coach explained.“Maganda naman ang build up pero importante ang crosses kasi 90% of the goals come from crosses,” he added.Coach Broax added that aside from the build game that they are doing to improve the performance of the national team they also hire a foreign coach to help them in improving the performance of their team players especially by sharing his experience in international games“Desmund Dulpin, a British coach who had work with some British premier league, was hired by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) and Mr. Dan Palami to help us in training the players,” Coach Broax added.Aside from the British coach, the national football team of the Philippines has also two Sudanese players who are on the process of naturalization of their birth and two British players who have Filipino lineage.

NEW DELHI: Former Philippines national team manager Desmond Bulpin is set to take charge of the Indian Under-19 football side which will be fielded in the I-League from the coming season, according to AIFF sources.

Englishman Bulpin was recommended to the All India Football Federation by the national coach and Bulpin's compatriot Bob Houghton for the job.

Bulpin was former manager of English Championship side Queens Park Rangers and youth team coach at English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur where he discovered England international strikers like Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe.

He met with All India Football Federation top brass at the AIFF headquarters on Monday and will be in Goa on Tuesday to have a first interaction with the players now based there.

"Bulpin is in the country and he will take formal charge shortly. He will meet the players in Goa," a top AIFF source said.

59-year-old Bulpin has more than 25 years of coaching experience at the top level and he had a stint with top Singapore side Tampine Rovers.

Before leaving for a two-month training tour of 29 national players to Portugal for the preparations of 2011 Asian Cup, Houghton had said that Bulpin will take over the Under-19 side soon.

The Under-19 side plays an important part in AIFF's scheme of things with the federation planning to groom the players for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

But Medvil striker Roelfred Napuran scored on a flick header in the 15th minute against four Seagull defenders to tie the match.

"The kids' performance was off. They made a lot of attempts but only one was converted. It's quite frustrating but they'll come around in the second round. But wee need to make adjustment on tactical aspects," Medvil coach Ramonito Carreon said in the vernacular.

Medvil and Seagull toted identical 13 points but Medvil took the top spot with 10 more goals to its advantage.

THE Abellana National High School (ANS) Pomeroy took the title in the 17-UnderDivision of the Treadtel Cup 2010 at the Aboitiz Sportsfield.

Dan Marnell Villarico scored on the rebound off a direct kick by John Nieves for the lone goal against the University of San Carlos (USC) in the finals.

ANS-Pomeroy moved to the finals after defeating Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, 3-2, while USC got the final slot after blanking Springdale.

In the 14-Under finals, Anthonie’s Football Club of Negros Oriental won the title after a 1-0 win over ANS-Pomoery.

Thirteen-year-old Ricky Rayan scored the lone goal off a feed by Gyllan Ventolero.

“We have been joining several festival tournaments here in Cebu and we are looking forward to joining the San Roque Football Festival,” coach Gregorio Guiuan said.

According to Treadtel Tires assistant vice president for admin and logistics Virgilio V. De Leon, their company is planning to make the football cup an annual event.

“We want to support the CFA (Cebu Football Association) with its vision to in develop the game in the grassroot levels and we are eyeing doing one again before the year ends or probably next summer,” De Leon said.

CFA President Richard Montayre said they have decided to come up with an 11- a-side festival tournament not only because it is the standard but because they want to educate the players as well.

“In the previous years, we always had seven-a-side festivals, which don’t have the offside rule. And most of the players who reach college don’t even know what an offside is,” Montayre said.

THE University of San Carlos took the Girls 17-Under title in the Treadtel Cup 2010 yesterday at the Aboitiz Sportsfield at the North Reclamation Area,Mandaue City.

Angeli Ruete scored the team’s final goal from 18 yards for a 3-0 win over the Giuseppe Football Club.

Jessika Knight and Renee Songalia contributed one goal apiece.

The USC girls team is composed of varsity players and members of the San Roque Football team.

“I was confident from the very beginning that we will win the tournament because my team is composed of experienced players,” head coach Gary Panagsagan said.

He added he is preparing his team to defend their title in the 17-Under division of the Mizuno Cup and the San Roque Football Festival tournament this August.

In the Boys 17-Under division, USC leads the team standing in bracket A with one win and one draw, followed by Sacred Heart School-Ateneo De Cebu with two draws. Securing the third spot is the Don Bosco boys home with one draw, while Blessed John Seminary is still winless.

Abellana National School (ANS) Pomeroy leads Bracket B with a clean 2-0 record. Springdale is at second with one win, while the USC North Campus and Guiseppe FC share the third place with winless records.

In the Boys 14-Under division, ANS Pomeroy leads with two wins, followed by Springdale and Anthony FC of Dumaguete City. Mandaue Technological Institute is at third. SHS-Ateneo de Cebu, Blessed John Seminary and Guiseppe FC are still winless in the tournament.

16 July 2010

THE Cebu Football Association (CFA) bared its plans of strengthening the grassroots development of football not only in the city but in the entire province as well.

CFA president Richard Montayre said they will be organizing four tournaments, the first of which is the ongoing Treadtel Cup 2010 to be followed by the Mizuno Cup on the second week of August, then the Aboitiz Cup on the last week of August and finally a big tournament next summer wherein teams come from each municipality of Cebu.

Aside from more tournaments, the CFA will also conduct coaches seminar ang training for football coaches in each municipality which they hope to launch by the end of this month in preparation for the summer tournament.

“We will help them put up their own teams,” Montayre said.

The plan is for each municipality to have its own inter-school tournament which will be the basis for the selection of thye members of the team.

According to Montayre, they are still in the process of identifying a place in the north and south to gather the coaches for the refresher course.

The project will be funded by the Department of Education of Central Visayas whose regional director, Recaredo Borgonia, is part of the CFA board.

Meanwhile, Montayre confirmed that the training program of the Cebu Elite Team will continue as soon as the CFA could raise funds.

He said that until now, they have not received any subsidy from the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) except for the P5,000 that was given earlier.

The Cebu Elite Team is a pilot project of the Vision Asia, a 10-year program of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and implemented by the CFA last January.

Despite the funding problems, Cebu Elite Teams U-14, U-12 and U-11 clinched the championships in their respective divisions of the Regional Festival of Football in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental held last March.

The program is aimed to select the best of the best for the boys U-8, U-10, U-12 and U-14; and girls U-12, U-16 and U-19 categories in Asia.

13 July 2010

The Sacred Heart School (SHS) Ateneo de Cebu and Guiseppe Football Club successfully clinched the championship titles in their respective divisions of the Treadtel Cup 2010 yesterday at the Aboitiz Sportsfield at the North Reclamation Area in Mandaue City.

The SHS Ateneo de Cebu pocketed the Girls 14 title after winning twice against Subangdaku Football Club in their best of three matches, while the Guiseppe FC went home with the Players 10 title after a 2-0 victory over SHS Ateneo de Cebu.

With only two teams seeing action in the Girls 14 after the withdrawal of Guiseppe FC, tournament organizer Cebu Football Association (CFA) decided to hold a best of three format for the division.

SHS Ateneo De Cebu took the first game with a 7-0 routing of Subangdaku FC.

In their second game, SHS Ateneo De Cebu meant denied Subangdaku FC booters to score, en route to the victory.

In the Players 10, SHS absorbed two losses frm Guiseppe FC, one during the elimination and second during the finals.

Guiseppe FC's Joaquin Suarez scored the opening goal in the extra time of the first half.

SHS booters tried to find the back of the net for the equalizer but they were repeatedly denied by Guiseppe FC's goalie Jack Zambrano.

Suarez seemed to play better under pressure as he once again found the back of the net in the extra time of the second half, sealing Guiseppe's championship.

Guiseppe FC, coached by Oliver Colina with the assistance of Martin Ferrer, finished at the top spot during the round robin elimination, winning five of their matches and drawing one.

The team won against VDRFC (5-1), Springdale Football Club (2-0), Subangdaku FC (3-1), San Roque Football Club (2-1) and SHS (2-0) while their game against ML Canduman ended in a scoreless draw.

The tournament, sponsored by Treadtel Tires, will continue next weekend with Boys 14, Girls 17 and Boys 17 seeing action.

Richard Montayre, CFA president, said the event is the first of the four tournaments the CFA will be organizing for the year as part of their plan to promote football at the grassroots level.

12 July 2010

The Springdale Football Club and the San Roque Football Club (SRFC) emerged champions in their respective divisions of the Treadtel Cup 2010 yesterday at the Aboitiz Sportsfield at the North Reclamation Area in Mandaue City.

Springdale FC clinched the Players 12 title after routing ML Canduman, 2-0, while San Roque inflicted the same 2-0 win over ML Canduman A for the Players 8 title.

ML Canduman failed to equalize until it became too late with Ryan James Hausen finding the back of the net in the second half to seal Springdale FC's victory.

Springdale FC finished at the top of the leaderboard in the round robin elimination after winning all of its five matches.

The team coached by coach Mario Ceniza won against Sacred Heart School Ateneo de Cebu (3-0), ML Canduman (3-0), Giuseppe Football Club (7-0), VDRFC (3-0) and University of San Carlos North Campus (6-0).

In the Players 8, SRFC's Nathaniel Ybanez found the back of the net twice to silence ML Canduman A.

SRFC topped the round robin elimination by winning all of its three games. SRFC won against ML Canduman A (4-0), Guiseppe (7-0) and NL Canduman B (6-0).

Next to see action today are teams of the Players 10 and Girls 14 divisions.

09 July 2010

The Philippine Futsal Team is set to arrive in Bacolod City next week on invitation of the office of Rep. Anthony Golez.

Rene De Asis, a member of Golez’ congressional staff, said the congressman of the lone district of Bacolod wants to help promote futsal or five-a-side soccer in the city.

The futsal team will arrive with Leo Arnaiz, head of the Committee on Homeless World Cup. The Philippines is also sending a team to the 2010 Homeless World Cup set in September in Rio de Janero, Brazil. Three members of the national squad are from Bacolod City.

Although they still have to finalize the details of the visit, De Asis said a series of friendly games is being considered against local football teams.

Futsal is frequently referred to as Five-A-Side or Mini-soccer and can be traced back to Montevideo, Uruguay in 1930.

De Asis said Futsal is close to Golez’s heart as he was a national player because during his younger days. He was part of the Philippine Football Team that won third place against two other international teams, he said.

Since Golez believes that Futsal is a good support for football, he would like to introduce it as a sport in Bacolod City, he added.

De Asis said Futsal can be played on basketball-sized courts, indoor and outdoor. This is a sport that will hasten the proficiency of ball handling of football players and can be played by the young and people who are already elderly including retired football players, he said.

Golez will support any Futsal training program in Bacolod in terms of reaching out to the schools, he said but their target are those who are less fortunate.

De Asis said there are enthusiasts in Bacolod who know how to play the game.

Golez wants to introduce the sport in Bacolod as his sponsored program. He also has a plan to put up a Bacolod Sports Academy that will involve selected games like boxing or swimming where Bacoleños can excel, he said.

As a former football player, Golez believes Futsal is the fastest way to develop Bacolod football players especially in the proficiency of ball handling and footwork which can be used when one plays football, De Asis said.

Golez said that when Futsal becomes popular in Bacolod, there will be regularity since two of the national players are from Talisay and Bacolod.

There were initial discussions that these players would help train and lend their expertise to children who will be involved in the sports, he said, adding that Arnaiz was amenable to the idea.*CGS

05 July 2010

HIGHLY-TOUTED teams Medvil and Seagull whipped separate opponents to keep their unbeaten slates in the Acer Cup Under-23 Tournament held at the Tionko football grounds Sunday.

Medvil unsleashed its might in crushing Ateneo de Davao University, 16-1, while Seagull was equally unforgiving in thrashinbg Ebocci Football Club, 16-0.

Joey Arobo (second, 16th, 29th, 63rd, 86th) and Frances Jay Abrasaldo (44th, 47th, 61st, 64th, 67th) sparked Medvil with five goals each while teammate Francis Philip Acala added four goals (23rd, 40th, 51st, 89th). Ruben Said and Jerome Balaga blasted one goal apiece in the 29th and 77th minutes, respectively.Ken Hager scored for Ateneo in the 90th to avoid a shutout in the tournament presented by Acer Philippines in coordination with the Davao Football Association and Columbia Computer Center.

Acala and Ateneo's Sean Clark Labang were named players of the match.Seagull-Porky's Lechon, meanwhile, relied on Francisco Iligan who knocked in goals in the 60th, 64th, 72nd, 78th and 88th while Joven Benitez (25th, 31st, 67th) and Clifford Dacera (50th, 55th, 74th) each made a hattrick. Tata Benitez and Glen Bulaquiña pitched in two goals each while Francis Patrick Lim scored on one goal.

04 July 2010

Barotac town in Iloilo, 30 kilometers northeast of here, have been getting little sleep lately.

On many late nights for the past few weeks, residents have been huddling at homes in front of television sets with generous amounts of beer and appetizers while watching the World Cup 2010 matches in South Africa.

While most of the country has paid little attention to the World Cup, Barotacnons have joined nearly a billion fans worldwide in following the quadrennial tournament.

Since the World Cup opened on June 11, football players and enthusiasts have been gathering in homes with cable television connections to watch the games shown live locally at 10 p.m. and 2:30 a.m.

“We all stay late at night especially for the exciting and much awaited games,” said engineer Duffie Botavara, general secretary of the Iloilo Football Association and president of the Barotac Nuevo Football Club.

FOOTBALL TEAMS in Cebu will have another tournament to look forward to as the Treadtel Cup 2010 unfurls next weekend July 10 and 11 and continues the weekend after at the Aboitiz Sportsfield beside Macro at the North Reclamation Area.

The bootfest organized by the Cebu Football Association (CFA) and sponsored by the Treadtel Tires is aimed at promoting football at the grassroots level.

MINDANAO'S most awaited event for school-based athletes in elementary and secondary levels will be held again in Cagayan de Oro City.

Now on its 14th year, the Milo Little Olympics will be played at the Don Gregorio Pelaez Sports and other viable playing venues in the city from July 30 to August 1.

Deadline for registration in the regional level is set on July 26. This way, Llamera said the secretariat and screening committees will find enough time to evaluate those qualified only to compete in Milo's 12 sporting events namely swimming, athletics, badminton, chess, FOOTBALL , gymnastics, lawn tennis, scrabble, sepak takraw, table tennis, taekwondo and volleyball.

"It has been agreed to select instead the most outstanding athletes during the conduct of the 2nd National Milo Little Olympics on Oct. 13 to 17 of this year," revealed Llamera.

Interested schools may secure the registration form and inquire for other details at the Milo Secretariat which holds office at Don Gregorio Pelaez Sports Center through telephone number (08822) 727289. (LLS/With UCQ reports)

CEBU, Philippines - As the World Cup action heats up, Ayala Center-Cebu will unveil its “FIFA Fever” activity at the Active Zone today.

Football fanatics will be treated to a week-long exhibit, get updates on the latest team standings and a free viewing on the replay of games for those who missed out some action.

Exciting FIFA merchandise can also be won through fun games including the World Cup lucky shot and the little league soccer challenge.

The little league soccer challenge is open for kids aged three to seven years old. One just have to present a proof of purchase from any Active Zone store to be able to join the challenge. In here, kids will take a goal and take home cool soccer items.

The World Cup lucky shot, on the other hand, those who can present an accumulated purchase receipt worth P1,000 from the Active Zone will get a chance to win either a FIFA jersey or caps of the 2010 World Cup Jabulani balls. (FREEMAN NEWS)

THE Seagull FC will gun for its third straight win when the Acer Cup Under-24 Tournament resumes on Sunday at the Tionko football grounds.

The Seagull booters, who shared the lead of the team standings with fellow unbeaten team Medvil, will collide with Ebocci at 3:15 p.m. The latter lost its debut game last week.

Medvil will test the mettle of Ateneo in the 4:30 p.m. main game in the league presented by Acer Philippines in coordination with the Davao Football Association (DFA) and Columbia Computer Center. Ateneo had two wins and needed to stage a comeback.

The 2:30 p.m. curtain raiser will pit Columbia against Kapisanan ng Magkaibigan Multi-Purpose Cooperative (KMMPC). Columbia held one win, zero draw and one loss record while KMMPC is sporting a 0-0-1 slate. (MLSA)